Real
by chocoyum4
Summary: All they wanted for Christmas was something Real. Something they could both hold on to. 2nd Anual Dramione Christmas One-shot


**I don't own Harry Potter**

**Merry Christmas! Just my little gift to y'all =) after all red and green are Christmast colors ;) haha (I thought that was pretty clever when I thought it up heehee) Only present I want from you is a review! =) Or the rights to Harry Potter which ever ;) Enjoy!**

**Real**

It was Christmas Eve at Hogwarts; and seeing as most of the sixth and seventh years had decided to stay for the holidays, one would think that all of the students would be having a grand time at the party being thrown in a classroom off of the corridor from the Room of Requirement. Sadly, it seemed not all of the students wanted to join in on the fun.

Hermione Granger sat in the heads dorm, a book and blanket in her lap, staring longingly at the fire. Normally she would have joined in on the festivities, but these parties of sorts had become a regular occurrence for the two oldest years. Held at least twice a month, at first they had been scarcely attended, but by the time November rolled around the only reasons you didn't attend was because of an injury or a detention. You also either went with a date or came out with one. That was the main reason Hermione couldn't make herself go.

She had gone alone to every single gathering and had come out the same. She was done. As much as she loved hanging out and chatting with her friends, she couldn't make herself watch Harry and Ginny together or watch Ron go through one witch after another. She hated watching others get their happily-ever-after's, whilst knowing it wasn't going to happen to her, yet hoping anyways.

That is why on that very Christmas Eve it was also very curious to find that the Head Boy hadn't joined the festivities either. Instead he lay on his bed staring longingly at the ceiling. Draco's reasons for not going were much the same as Hermione's yet different.

Draco would find a date if he wanted too, but he would always leave alone. The only reason girls said yes to him was because of his reputation. Not a single one, as of yet, had gone with him because of his personality. As much as he enjoyed the snogging sessions every now and then, and as much as he loved Blaise; he hated watching his best friend find the girl of his dreams, and he hated watching others get their happily-ever-after's, whilst knowing he was never going to her his, yet hoping anyways.

Both of them sat or laid there sulking knowing that their friends were having a great time. They of course wanted to join in on the fun but knew things would end the same as always did.

At this time one would normally wonder at the relationship of the two Heads. One would also think that it is easily explained. In the case of these two it is not. They were neither friends, nor were they enemies. They didn't fight, but they didn't get along. They didn't forget the past, but they didn't remember it either. They spoke only when they had to, and when they had to only politely. They didn't hate each other, but they didn't like each other. He had changed considerably, but she hadn't changed at all. They were strangers with a past neither could ever seem to forget or ignore, but couldn't make themselves remember or acknowledge.

Draco sighed and looked at his watch scowling. He hadn't gone down the Great Hall for dinner and now it was closed. The party had also just begun and he didn't want to go to that. So the Head Boy rolled off his bed, slipped on a pair of shoes, and put his cloak around his shoulders before leaving his room. He had decided that he would make a trip down to the kitchens for some food before coming back and sulking some more.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs he paused, startled by the form sitting in a chair staring into the fire. He had thought she of all people would be at the party. It made him curious, why would Hermione Granger be staring at the fire on Christmas Eve while all her friends were elsewhere.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked startling Hermione out of her thoughts. She turned quickly and looked at him with her big brown eyes.

"Didn't feel up to it I guess," she shrugged and turned back towards the fire.

"And why is that?" Draco asked even more curious than before. Hermione just shrugged and continued to stare at the fire. Draco stopped for a moment before going to sit next to her. He took the book from her hands, marking her place, and set it beside him. Hermione turned her head to look at him with soulful eyes, and in the instant their eyes connected he knew why she hadn't gone. "Come with me," he said taking her hands and pulling her up along with him.

The blanket fell from her lap as she rose. "What are you doing?"

"I thought that as long as you weren't going to the party we could go get some food. I'm assuming that you haven't eaten yet, correct?" Draco said as he moved the blanket to the side of the couch.

"Yes," Hermione said slowly as she slid on her shoes and cloak. Draco Malfoy was acting very strangely she deducted. But she didn't really want to be alone on Christmas Eve, and as long as he was being civil she found no harm in joining him for a trip to the kitchens.

"Are you coming?" Draco asked as he lingered by the doorway. Hermione nodded and quickly caught up.

After a few moments of silence, Hermione's curiosity got the best of her. "Why aren't you at the party?"

Draco shrugged, "Didn't feel up to it I guess." He smirked at the obvious irritation of the other Head as he repeated the same answer she had given him. Two could play at that game.

"Fine," she huffed crossing her arms. If he was going to be insufferable like that then so would she. They continued on in compatible silence to the kitchens. Before going in she couldn't take it anymore. "Alright," she sighed, "I'm sick of going alone. I have yet to be asked to go with someone and I haven't left with anyone either. I didn't want to deal with that tonight. I waited, and waited, but I- I. I don't know anymore. I've tried figuring out what's wrong with me, but it hasn't really worked out. Everything I've changed has done nothing so I just went back to the way I've always been. I just want something real."

Draco studied her thoughtfully before tickling the pear and opening the door. Hermione followed in quietly. She stood in the background as she watched Draco greet the elves kindly, even going so far as to pat Winky affectionately on the head. She watched him with awe. She had never imagined Draco would ever be so kind to the elves. He even asked politely for some food for both him and her.

When the elves finally noticed Hermione was there they swarmed around her asking if they could get her anything. Draco grinned at her as if to say, 'what can you do?' Hermione blushed faintly and smiled down at the elves reassuring them that she was fine, and Draco had already gotten more than enough for the both of them.

After saying goodbye Draco led Hermione to a balcony off the same corridor the party was being held. Even with both doors closed one could still hear the Christmas music loud and clear.

"Are you ever going to tell me why you aren't at the party?" Hermione asked as they say down against the stone wall that was the railing.

"I suppose," Draco shrugged, beginning to pull out their meal. "My reason is much the same as yours, although I rarely went without a date, I always left without one. I'm sick of it as well. Although I've while I have tried to find what's wrong with me, I've never tried to fix it. If someone wants to be with me it should be because I am who I am. I'm waiting for something real."

Hermione smiled at him as he handed her a thermos of hot chocolate. "I understand what you're saying. It's difficult though, isn't it?"

Draco sighed and pulled out a Christmas cookie shaped like a little Santa with icing that moved so it looked like he was laughing from the box the elves had given them. "I suppose so. It is dreadfully annoying. As my mother always said, you have to pull out the weeds before you can grow relationships with the flowers."

"Your mother really said that?" Hermione laughed.

"She was always a bit of a gardener, so most of her advice had to do with plants." He grinned at her and caught her eye. It seemed as if the world had stopped for both of them until Hermione finally broke the silence pausing the moment.

"And have you found your flower yet?"

"Maybe," he said slowly chewing on his cookie. "I'm waiting to see if this one plant will blossom with a flower." Draco gave her a meaningful look that caused Hermione to blush and look away.

"So, why did you invite me along on your little picnic?" Hermione asked as she reached for her second cookie, this one shaped like church bells with icing that moved so it looked as if they were ringing.

Draco paused as he reached into the box for another treat. Shrugging he answered, "I know I didn't necessarily want to be alone on Christmas Eve, and I figured you didn't either."

Hermione studied her cookies thoughtfully. "Thank you," she said quietly, "and I didn't." She looked up into his eyes as she said this. His silver eyes that had once been so cold, swirled with emotion that made them look warm. Hermione knew it would be so easy to get lost in those eyes. She wanted to be lost in those eyes. His eyes told her that he was real, and that this could be real. That he wanted it to be real.

Draco smiled and broke the moment, "Well, I'm glad I did." Hermione smiled back, and the two continued to talk as if they were old friends meeting again for the first time in years. Hermione could hardly believe it either. They had so much in common, yet enough differences to make the conversation interesting. She felt as if she got much more out of this one conversation than she ever had out of the thousands with Harry and Ron. He was ever the gentleman the entire time, giving her his cloak when she shivered, and when she refused saying she had her own. He offered to share it with her. He evoked emotions inside of her that had laid dormant since her early years at Hogwarts. There was much more to him than she had ever dreamed there would be, and she found herself enjoying it.

Draco learned that he loved when she smiled at him. That she had so much more depth to her than he had ever thought there was. He often found himself wondering how all those idiotic boys had missed it. How he had missed it. He loved her laugh. He even loved the sound of her voice. Draco wondered if it was possible to fall in love so fast, but then he figured something must have been there all these years because they had had such a strong reaction to each other in the beginning.

After a while they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Hermione had laid her head on his shoulder and he was stroking the top of her hand with his thumb. A slow Christmas song came through the walls of the castle from the party and Draco slowly stood with his hand outstretched out to the beautiful girl before him. "Dance with me?" He asked looking deep into her soulful eyes. She smiled shyly at him before taking his hand.

Draco bowed with a sweeping motion of his hand before taking her right hand in his left and placing his right hand on her waist. They danced in those positions for only a moment before Draco slid his hand from hers and let it join the other at her waist. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. "This is nice," she whispered as they slowly turned. The song changed, but neither student moved.

"Yeah," Draco said resting his head on top of hers, "It feels real," he admitted. Hermione nodded and closed her eyes. She wanted nothing to break this moment. Not now, not when her fairytale was about to have it's happily-ever-after. Draco lifted his head from hers, and tilted her chin up. "I'm so tired of them being fake," he whispered.

Hermione knew exactly what he was referring too, he was talking about all the girls he had taken to the parties thrown every few weeks. "I'm tired of it too," she said as she studied him. His eyes darted above them, and them too her lips before returning to her own.

"I'm ready for the real, are you?" Draco's lips ghosted over hers and his breath fanned her face. Her heart nearly stopped from the pleasure she found by just being held by him.

The Head Girl closed her eyes as she answered him, rising on her toes slightly to be closer to him. "Yes, I've been ready for the real."

Closing the distance between them was the easiest thing Draco had ever done in his life. He reveled in the soft, warmness that was her lips, and felt his insides turn to liquid at the fire that sparked from their kiss. He had never felt anything more real in his entire life. When they broke apart, Draco cupped Hermione's face in his hands. "I think my flower just blossomed."

Hermione smiled and leaned into his touch. "Good," she said before kissing him once more. They broke apart again as Hermione shivered not only from his touch, but from the cold.

"Are you cold?" Draco asked pulling his cloak around him. Hermione nodded and the Head Boy opened it up so she could slide in next to him. "Come on, let's go inside." Hermione let him lead her away, but before they went through the door she looked back and up. There above their heads had been a small clump of mistletoe. She smiled slightly now she knew what he had been looking at. The meddling elves had struck again, but she didn't mind this time.

Draco took her hand and entwined their fingers as he led her back to their dorms. It was much later than either of them had originally thought and the party would be ending soon. Draco kissed her once more in front of the door to her room, "Don't forget this is real, Flower."

"I won't," she promised before they both went into their separate rooms.

The next morning when Hermione awoke, she wondered if the night before could have possibly been a dream, but when she entered the common she found it filled with red roses. There was a note in the branches of the tree from Draco. It read:

_Merry Christmas Flower,_

_I didn't know what to get you, and I obviously didn't have much time, but I hope that I'll be able to do much better next year._

_-Draco_

Hermione smiled and took one of the roses, cutting off most of the stem and placing it in her hair. _No, _she thought, _it could never have been a dream. _Because every single rose in the room was real.


End file.
